5 Reasons Why Sarah Silverman Was Right To Call The Bernie Or Bust Crew Ridiculous

On Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention (July 25), there was a very apparent dissonance in the Wells Fargo Arena between the “Stronger Together” signs many delegates waved around and screams of dissatisfaction that came from Bernie Sanders supporters. Whenever a speaker had something positive to say about Hillary Clinton (Aside from Queen First Lady Michelle Obama, of course), they were met with a chorus of boos.

So when comedienne, activist and vocal Bernie supporter, Sarah Silverman, came onstage with the message of party unity, she received some serious pushback from the Bernie or bust faction in the room. Well, apparently Sarah was so surprised by the booing from the crowd that she went off script and said, “Can I just say to the Bernie or bust people: You’re being ridiculous.”

Bernie’s policy director said that the campaign got “at least 80 percent” of what it wanted on the platform, including but not limited to a $15 an hour minimum wage, a carbon tax, bank and finance industry reform, a pathway to future marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform. This is not the same Democratic Party we saw in 2012, and Hillary is not the same Hillary that announced her candidacy for president last summer. And even though the party’s official platform supports TPP (an issue many Bernie supporters have been vocal about at the convention), Hillary opposes it. There’s no doubt that Bernie and his campaign pushed the Democratic Party significantly more left, so why do so many of his supporters still not find this good enough?

Many of these #NeverHillary people will argue that Jill Stein is a better alternative to Bernie than Hillary, and I’m not going to argue that this is objectively false. Jill is definitely more liberal than Hillary and has natural appeal to those on the far left. You can’t talk about the career or character of the former Secretary of State without talking about her scandals. However, Jill Stein isn’t even leading the polls as far as third party candidates go (Shouts out to Gary Johnson!). The hard truth that some refuse to face is that if Bernie was too far left to win the Democratic primary, Stein can’t win the general, which is much more focused on winning over moderates. Furthermore, as of the beginning of July, 85 percent of Bernie supporters say they intend to vote for Hillary in November. It’s no shade against Jill or her values. Just the facts.

Booing people you disagree with is straight up immature and disrespectful

Say what you want about Hillary Clinton, but most of the people who were booed on that stage did nothing to warrant the treatment they received. The Bernie delegate that pleaded for party unity via Dumbledore quote didn’t get on the stage for her own political gain or as a means to brainwash anyone into buying into a rigged political system. Neither did Sarah Silverman for that matter. They share many of the same values that drew the disruptive crowd to Bernie in the first place, so why attempt to publicly shame someone who is only trying to push those values to the political forefront in a different way than you prefer? There’s such a thing as respectful disagreement, people.

Marginalized groups don’t have the luxury of risking a Trump presidency

From a private email server to Trump University, both Donald Trump and Hillary have their fair share of skeletons in their closets. Most of America has come to terms with the fact that our next president won’t be a saint. But women can’t afford to lose reproductive rights. Muslims can’t afford to be treated like second class citizens reminiscent of how Jews were treated in Germany in the 1930s. Children can’t afford for their parents to be deported. And African Americans can’t afford to have a president that doesn’t believe that #BlackLivesMatter. With one vacant Supreme Court seat and several more Justices expected to retire in the next 4-8 years, refusing to acknowledge that Hillary is better for the progressive movement than Trump could stagnate the left for generations.

Hillary is good enough for Bernie despite their differences

Bernie doesn’t need to endorse Hillary. His political career has fared well for decades without the DNC stamp of approval. He doesn’t owe the party or their nominee anything, so his endorsement comes from his genuine care for the American People. Bernie supporters willing to boo the idea of anyone but him being president would probably follow that man and his ideals to the grave. So why is it so difficult to trust that his decision to endorse Hillary is what’s best for his political revolution?

Former Nevada State Assemblywoman talks to VH1’s Carri Twigg about the email controversy regarding Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Senator Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention.